Al Hilal SC’s vice president, Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Aliqi, has described the club’s recent triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns as a long-awaited relief, ending a five-year streak of frustration against the South African side.
The Sudanese giants secured a crucial 2–1 victory over Sundowns last Friday in Rwanda during matchday four of the CAF Champions League group stage.
The result propelled Al Hilal to the top of Group C with eight points, while Sundowns slipped to second with five.
Speaking to Sudanese outlet Mashaweer News, Al-Aliqi reflected on the club’s history against Sundowns.
“We have overcome the Sundowns curse that had accompanied the team for five years,” he said.
“I would like to remind the fans of the match against the South African side in 2023, when Ataher El Taher missed a penalty against goalkeeper Williams.”
He added that a conversation with a Sundowns official after that match left a lasting impression.
“When we attended a banquet held in honour of the visit of the South African club’s delegation to Sudan after that match, one of their officials told me: ‘This is football. You started correctly and now you are on the right path. We won the Champions League in 2016 and were unable to win it again in the years that followed, but we did not lose hope. Now you must also not let despair take over.”
Al-Aliqi emphasized the resilience required to reach this stage, citing the support of millions of fans despite the challenges posed by ongoing conflict in Sudan.
“Football is a message to every citizen and you must fight for excellence.
“I remember these words now that we have reached this stage through the prayers of millions, despite the difficult circumstances that the team has endured because of the war.
“The media must treat the win normally without any exaggeration. We do not know what will happen tomorrow, and in the end, it is just three points and we have not yet qualified.”
